Why is the green feces. Dark green feces in adults and children: possible causes

Green feces can appear due to various reasons. For example, green poop may occur due to nutrition, namely the consumption of certain foods that provoke stool color. Also, this phenomenon may be associated with some diseases that cause malfunctions in the functioning of vital systems. In any case, you must always be on the alert, know the causes and treatment of such a phenomenon.

Important! It is possible to know exactly the true cause of the deviation only after the results of the relevant studies have been submitted and received.

If green feces were seen in an adult once, this does not mean that it is necessary to sound the alarm. Often the color changes due to the foods eaten. For example, with excessive consumption of certain cereals that are difficult for the body to digest, the stool can turn green, and this phenomenon persists for several days.

For the digestion of cereals with a dense shell, the body needs to produce bile in large quantities so that the process of splitting food is more productive. The enzyme contributes to this, and a greenish stool is released.

Some products contain special pigments that can change the color of the excrement. This factor is associated with an excess of iron in food. Therefore, this phenomenon should not be regarded as a disease.

Color can be affected by:

1. Frequent consumption of spinach, cucumbers, sorrel, lettuce, dill, and other foods that have a pronounced green color.
2. Eating caramels, marmalade and other foods that contain high levels of food coloring in their composition. Because of them, even feces that have a dark green color can appear.
3. If the products contain chlorophyll, the color of the stool also changes. After eating seaweed, this phenomenon can persist for up to 3 days.
4. Red meat, fish, red beans in some cases also contribute to the staining of feces.

Pigments tend to persist in the human body for up to 5 days. That is, it is possible that even after a person stops eating all of the above foods, the color of feces will still remain unchanged.

Important: If an adult notes that he has green poop, while the phenomenon is accompanied by mucus secretions, then this becomes an occasion to think about his health. This symptom may already signal that there are malfunctions in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

The causes of green stools are usually divided into two classifications:

• physiological;
• pathological.

Let's consider them more specifically.

Physiological causes

Excrement in this case changes its color as a result of the consumption of certain products by a person - this has already been written above. This does not threaten health, but in any case, any adult should know exactly after which products the stool can change its color. If the products contain coloring substances (for example, iron) - all this affects the color.

Dark green stools in a person can appear with the use of dietary supplements and certain pharmacological preparations. Let's list them:

• laxative teas, capsules, the composition of which is of plant origin;
• medicines containing iodine;
• glucose, sorbitol, etc.;
• complexes of minerals, as well as vitamins;
• preparations containing seaweed.

In this case, the causes of green feces are obvious, and such a condition does not threaten human health.

Pathological causes

Sometimes it happens that the green color of feces appears as a result of some pathologies. If an adult notes that the phenomenon is accompanied by high fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, it is necessary to contact a specialist as soon as possible to make a diagnosis. Only an experienced gastroenterologist can answer exactly the question - why did the stool appear greenish after receiving the results of the tests passed by the patient.

Important: If you noted that black-green feces appeared, while foods that could change its color were not eaten, you cannot engage in self-diagnosis! It is necessary to go to the hospital as soon as possible, as this condition can be dangerous.

We list the main diseases that are accompanied by this pathology:

1. Crohn's disease.
2. Infectious diseases - for example, enterocolitis. In this case, the stool will not only change color, but it will also be possible to note impurities of blood or mucus.
3. Internal bleeding. If it is not strong, the patient may notice that the stool has a black-green tint. If the bleeding is heavy, then the excrement becomes black.
4. Allergy to certain foods. In this case, it can be noted that in the stool there are parts of undigested food with mucus, respectively, and the feces in adults (its color) also change.
5. With a stomach ulcer, this phenomenon can also be noted.
6. Rotavirus infection. Requires immediate treatment to the infectious diseases hospital, especially if the child has symptoms. Symptoms are as follows: feces with mucus impurities are released, it has an unpleasant odor. In this case, the general condition deteriorates sharply, symptoms of intoxication appear.

If green poop has been noted, while there are accompanying symptoms, you should not delay going to the doctor.

Possible complications and diseases

Dysentery. This disease may be accompanied by symptoms:

• hyperthermia;
• temperature rise;
• nausea;
• feeling of weakness;
• vomit;
• severe abdominal pain.

If green feces in an adult persist for several days for no apparent reason, and the above symptoms appear, an infectious disease specialist should be consulted. If the phenomenon is accompanied by a putrid odor, a sharp weight loss, diarrhea - this state of affairs already indicates the presence of E. coli and other pathological microorganisms.

Dysbacteriosis. It occurs not only in children, but also in adults. Accompanied by belching, bloating, upset stool. Increased gas formation and green stools in an adult are also present. All these symptoms are caused by a violation of the microflora. As a result, beneficial microorganisms gradually die, they are replaced by pathogenic microflora. In the process of exacerbation of the disease, a high number of leukocytes is observed. As a result of these changes, the intestines cannot digest food normally. This provokes its fermentation and decay. Components are released that provoke the appearance of green poop.

Intestinal infections. Cholera, dysentery - all these diseases are considered infectious. In any case, the patient will have a high fever, and nausea, accompanied by vomiting. The person is weakened, there are pains in the abdomen, aches all over the body, headache, chills, etc.

internal bleeding. It occurs due to an exacerbation of peptic ulcer, or when oncological neoplasms appear in one of the sections of the gastrointestinal tract. The process of iron oxidation starts after the blood enters the stomach. If the masses are not completely oxidized, in this case there will be the appearance of green feces. Standard bleeding symptoms: decrease in blood pressure, blanching of the skin, severe shortness of breath, tachycardia. This condition can threaten the life of the patient.

Hepatitis. All pathological processes, closely related to liver diseases, lead to massive decomposition of red blood cells. In this case, the liver does not have enough hemoglobin, as a result of which bilirubin begins to be produced. This pigment contributes to the appearance of a greenish tint in the feces. The same phenomenon is sometimes observed in diseases of the blood.

Allergy. It often happens that a person has a food allergy - that is, some foods are intolerable to the body. This factor causes the development of an inflammatory process, as a result of which a green stool is released.

All of the above diseases require a mandatory consultation with a doctor, since such conditions can not only harm health, but in some cases even threaten a person's life.

What diagnostic measures are prescribed

If a greenish stool appears in an adult, the doctor will prescribe examinations and studies without fail.

After deciphering the stool tests in an adult, the doctor prescribes treatment. It will directly depend on the cause of the deviation, the scheme for each patient is selected separately.

If color changes were provoked by food, it is enough just to review your diet. Eat greens, cucumbers in smaller quantities, do not abuse cereals and red meat, refuse foods that contain a large amount of dyes. Do not forget that greenish stool will persist for some time. In order to remove harmful substances from the body, you can take Atoxil, Smecta, Regidron, etc.

If an adult has green feces, the causes of this phenomenon may be different, and without passing the appropriate tests they cannot be determined. Deviation from the norm may indicate an infectious disease - in this case, self-medication is strictly contraindicated.

If you notice that the feces have become greenish, while there is a high temperature, diarrhea and weakness, you need to know what to do in such situations. Diarrhea causes the body to become dehydrated. The consistency and volume of blood changes, minerals and salts are washed out - all this leads to the fact that the patient will feel even worse. In order to restore losses, one teaspoon of sugar and salt should be added to each liter of water.

If the patient has vomiting and green stools, the stomach must be washed out in order to free it from food. To do this, a large amount of warm boiled water is drunk until the urge to vomit appears (you can make a very weak solution of potassium permanganate).

If the patient has not only greenish feces, but also vomiting, he needs to refuse food altogether for a while. In principle, if there are such symptoms, you need to follow a clear diet. In no case should you prescribe yourself a treatment on your own, especially, take various drugs. With dysbacteriosis, for example, you can significantly aggravate the picture.

Do not neglect your health, consult a doctor at the first symptoms that bother you!

Nature has endowed the human body with an amazing feature - to independently control the work of all systems and organs, to visually report any malfunctions, manifested by skin rashes, or through natural waste. After all, it is not in vain that, with any disease, diagnosis begins with a study of urine and stool tests.

The color, texture and smell of feces are one of the main indicators of pathological changes in the body.

A kind of indicator that reflects the work of the gastrointestinal tract, liver and gallbladder is green feces in humans. It is the inflammatory processes in the digestive system that are characteristic of such a manifestation.

Causes of green stool in adults

The main role in changing the usual color of feces is played by bilirubin fat-soluble compounds that are part of the main structure of bile and penetrate into the gastrointestinal tract along with it.

Green stool in an adult

At the normal speed of food moving through the intestinal tract, bilirubin is oxidized, it pigments and turns the feces brown.

If the digestion process is disturbed or the processed food moves too quickly through the intestinal tract, bilirubin that has not had time to oxidize comes out in a natural, non-oxidized form, giving the feces a green color.

Several factors can provoke the cause of the manifestation of green feces in an adult. Among the main causes are iron-containing foods and medications containing an inorganic iron compound.

• green vegetables, leafy salads, fruits and juices from them;
• red varieties of fish and meat;
• red bean varieties;
• foods and drinks containing food coloring;
• sweets based on licorice syrup;
• iron supplements;
• medicinal preparations based on seaweed;
• multivitamin complexes;
• preparations for iodine deficiency, sugar substitutes.

Pathogenic factors

In addition to products and drugs, the manifestation of green feces in an adult is also affected by pathological disorders in the gastrointestinal tract due to:

The development of inflammatory processes in the gastrointestinal tract causes a massive death of leukocytes, which give a green color to the feces. This process is accompanied by:

• a sharp pain symptom in the peritoneum;
• diarrhea
• green mucus in the feces with purulent inclusions;

Green mucus in the feces is provoked by many factors, let's pay attention to the main ones:

1) Various intestinal infections in many cases are accompanied by mucus with a hint of green. Fermentation bacterial flora, feeding on carbohydrates, develops fermentation and putrefactive processes in the intestines. This disrupts the function of the intestinal mucosa and causes increased secretion of intestinal mucus.

2) IBS - is characterized by a symptom-complex of functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. For a month, mucus in the feces can be noted, among many pathological symptoms. Fever and fever provoke a change in the color of feces.

3) In medicine, three types of hemorrhoids are noted with the formation of a unique mucus with a touch of green that accumulates around the anus.

4) Tumor neoplasms in the intestines of the first degree and accumulation, can manifest themselves as yellow or greenish discharge from the anus with mucus clots.

5) Contribute to the formation of this pathology - congenital intestinal fermentopathy or hereditary pathologies of the structure of the upper inner lining of the jejunum.

6) Congenital intolerance to the protein components of gluten (celiac disease) and milk sugar.

7) Hernial protrusions of the intestinal walls, provoking stagnation of food.

8) Gene mutation. Manifested by the development of atrophy of the glandular layer of the intestinal walls and the development of progressive fibrosis (cystic fibrosis). Due to the release of thick viscous mucus, greenish feces are formed, sometimes gray-green feces.

Causes of dark green stool and symptoms of diseases

Such a symptom is a harbinger of problems in the body, a sure evidence of infectious processes in the intestines. It is often a symptom of the initial form of dysentery.

Manifested by loose stools, pain in the abdomen, fever and impaired thermoregulation (temperature), followed by the addition of clinical infectious symptoms.

The darkening of green stools is preceded by small, chronic forms of bleeding, provoked by malignant tumors in the gastrointestinal tract or ulcerative pathologies. They contribute to the incomplete oxidation of iron compounds in the intestine, which gives the feces a dark green hue.

Dark green stools of a normal structure can manifest themselves due to the development of various pathological changes in the liver that reduce its functionality (fibrosis, hepatosis, etc.). This is due to the lack of formation of red blood cells due to the breakdown of their main component - iron-containing proteins (hemoglobin).

If the liver fails to timely utilize decayed proteins, it throws them into the duodenum, where iron compounds can be oxidized completely or partially, forming dark green feces.

Such a pathology is also noted with a combination of bleeding processes in the upper gastrointestinal tract with an acute form of dysbacteriosis, which provoke an incomplete amount of food processing, accompanied by its fermentation and purulent decay of food elements in the intestines.

Yellow-green feces: formation processes

The inconsistency of the processes of regulation of absorption and digestion of carbohydrates from the fibers and the connective tissue membrane of plant foods leads to functional disorders in the jejunum and pancreas.

Their enzymes do not cope with their duties, as a result of which a syndrome of fermentative dyspepsia develops with the formation of yellow-green feces.

This coloration of feces in breastfeeding children is considered the norm. In older children, feces acquire a yellow-green color when the child's diet is not appropriate for his age.

Or when eating too much food with which the still insolvent gastrointestinal system is unable to cope, while the structure of the feces changes, it becomes watery, frothy or mushy, covered with mucus.

Green feces in a child

Green feces in a child has its own characteristics of manifestation. In many cases, it is not considered a sign of pathology. In infants of the first, adaptive, month of life, feces of this color are the physiological norm due to the baby's addiction to breast milk.

In another case, when the child is artificial, violations in the color scheme of children's feces can be caused by milk mixtures. At the same time, both the consistency and the smell of feces change.

During the feeding period, careful monitoring of what the child eats, in what quantity, and what medications are attributed to him is necessary.

A greenish tint to the stool is very common when a child's teeth begin to erupt.

During this period, intense salivation in response causes a large release of bile into the stomach, affecting the shade and color of the feces. May be accompanied by colic and painful cramps in the baby's tummy. With the growth of the child, the number of provocative factors that cause the green color of feces increases.

For the most part, they are similar to the reasons inherent in adults. Green stools and a sharp deterioration in the child's condition require immediate diagnosis to determine the cause and appropriate treatment.

The reaction of the body in children can manifest itself as a serious problem - dehydration, since such changes are almost always accompanied by frequent diarrhea. It could be anything:

• salmonellosis or dysentery;
• escherihoses, lactase deficiency;
• or intestinal dysbiosis.

Such pathologies can be suspected when mucous formations are detected in the feces. It is necessary to pay special attention to this in order to detect the disease in time.

What to do if green stool appears?

With a similar symptom, the first thing to do is to identify the cause. If you feel normal, there are no negative changes in the body, you should adjust the diet and exclude possible provocative medications.

If this applies to infants, the diet should be reviewed by mommy. Over time, the chair should improve.

If there are any symptoms that cause discomfort and deterioration in general well-being, manifested by: severe pain, weakness, fever and fever, gas accumulations in the intestines or mucus in the feces, an urgent visit to the doctor is necessary.

Only after a thorough diagnosis, the doctor will be able to determine the cause of the disease and draw up an effective treatment plan.

Green stool has various causes. They can be both completely physiological and pathological. A change in the color of excrement is most often observed in newborn children, but such a change is not excluded in adults. In no case should this symptom be ignored, since green feces mixed with mucus can serve as a sure sign that a malfunction has occurred in the digestive system. And it is precisely this that should first of all be identified and eliminated by prescribing the correct course of treatment.

Physiological causes

Usually the reason for the discoloration of feces in adults lies in the diet. Dark green stool is usually observed if an adult begins to consume a lot of foods that contain iron. These include the following:

• red meat;
• broccoli, dill, spinach and other green leafy crops;
• sea ​​fish;
• black licorice;
• Red beans;
• juices and purees made from green vegetables.

Green feces often appear in those people who consumed a lot of foods with bright dyes the day before, in particular, with green. These include:

• caramel sweets;
• marmalade;
• carbonated drinks;
• various chewing gum and more.

Dark green stools can also be caused by an adult taking certain pharmaceuticals and supplements. Usually, a change in the color of excrement is observed when taking such drugs:

• drugs that contain high doses of iodine;
• laxatives of plant origin;
• sorbitol;
• chlorophyll;
• glucose;
• Dietary supplement with high concentration of glucose;
• mineral and vitamin complexes;
• preparations, the main active ingredient of which is seaweed.

Pathological causes

It is important to remember that not only dietary habits can affect the color change of excrement. Often, green feces are a sign of the progression of dangerous pathologies in both an adult and a baby. Therefore, in the event of its repeated isolation, mucus impurities in it, as well as the manifestation of a pronounced clinical picture (vomiting, abdominal pain, etc.), you should immediately contact for the diagnosis and treatment of the underlying pathology. Only a qualified specialist can say why dark green feces appear. Self-diagnosis in this case is invalid. Especially if a child has green feces.

Pathological causes:

green stool in children

Green feces most often appear in children, in particular in newborns. In the case of newborns, green feces are evidence of the immaturity of the digestive system, especially the liver.

A change in the color of feces in infants can also occur due to a change in nutrition. This is especially often observed when a mother transfers a newborn child to artificial feeding. The composition of milk formulas for newborns is stable, but the set of trace elements may vary. In particular, in certain mixtures, an increased iron content can be noted. The use of such food can cause a change in the color of feces in a newborn child.

Very often, a change in the color of excrement in infants is observed during the period when the first teeth begin to erupt. Naturally, the child begins to gnaw on everything, and usually such things are not sterile. As a result, many bacteria enter the body of the baby, the pathogenic activity of which can lead not only to a change in the color of feces, but also to the progression of various diseases. In this case, the clinical picture will be supplemented by hyperthermia, vomiting, pain in the abdomen. There will be mucus or even streaks of blood in the excrement.

Often the cause of a change in the color of feces in a baby is the wrong diet of his mother. This means that toxins from foods that the mother may have consumed end up in the milk that the baby will then eat. As a result, these substances will penetrate into his body.

Therapeutic measures

First of all, it is necessary to clarify why green feces appeared. The diagnosis is usually made by a gastroenterologist. If the reason lies in the diet, then the treatment is quite simple - normalizing your diet and excluding raisins, gooseberries, cucumbers, kiwi, drinks with dyes from it. The following drugs may also be prescribed:

• Smecta;
• Regidron.

If all of the above measures did not bring the proper result, then this means that a person is progressing any disease. The main method of therapy in this case is medication. The patient may be prescribed the following drugs:

• antibacterial;
• antispasmodics;
• anti-inflammatory;
• probiotics;
• vitamin complexes.

Green feces in an adult can occur for many reasons. But in all cases of its appearance, you should be alert and listen to your body. This symptom may be a sign of a serious illness requiring qualified medical treatment. In this article, we have considered the main reasons why an adult may develop green stools, as well as the actions necessary when this symptom appears, the basics of first aid and indications for visiting a doctor.

Causes of green stool

Normally, feces are brown in color. This color is provided by bile pigments. With the normal functioning of the digestive system, the feces are formed, of a solid consistency.

Remember that any change in the consistency or color of the poop has some reason. But its appearance can be influenced by many factors. With a long-term change in the type of stool, you should consult a doctor.

A green stool in an adult can develop for the following reasons:

• Eating foods that affect the color of the stool. It can be green peas, herbs, vegetables, or foods treated with green dye. If food is the cause of the green stool, it has a formed and firm texture, does not have a sharp and fetid odor. The appearance of such a chair is not accompanied by any other symptoms. Diarrhea, abdominal pain and hyperthermia are not characteristic of this condition.
• Salmonellosis. This disease belongs to the group of intestinal infections. It can develop after eating contaminated eggs, meat, or dairy products. Salmonellosis can also be contracted from a sick person. This disease is characterized by diarrhea, fever up to 38-39 degrees, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. Yellow or green loose stools from salmonellosis can lead to severe dehydration in a short period of time.
• Inflammatory diseases of the digestive tract (ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease). The marsh color of the stool in these pathologies is provided by leukocytes, cells that are present in the foci of inflammation. With these pathologies, body temperature may rise, abdominal pain develops.
• Lactose intolerance. With this disease, the human body does not have an enzyme that digests dairy products. At the slightest use of them, liquid stools of a light green color appear. Fecal masses can also have a normal color. A person who has this pathology knows about it, and is not surprised to see a changed stool after violating the diet prescribed by the doctor.
• Gastrointestinal bleeding. We are all used to thinking that in this condition the stool is black, but it can also be dark green. This shade is provided by hemoglobin that has come into contact with gastric juice. With gastrointestinal bleeding, black vomiting may also appear, the pulse quickens, blood pressure rapidly decreases, general weakness and pallor of the skin develops.

What to do if green stool appears

If you notice a green-colored stool in your body, you should not let this condition take its course. First of all, you must figure out what could cause it to develop.

How to recognize the cause

If you ate something green the day before, such as greens and peas, this indicates that the stool has acquired the color of food, but only if there are no other symptoms. In case of a change in your state of health, you need to seek medical help..

Be wary and think about an intestinal infection, in particular, with salmonellosis, if the stool is liquid and plentiful, accompanied by abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, fever.

About bleeding in the stomach or intestines, you need to think about the appearance of dark vomiting, weakness. You should also suspect this condition if you have a history of stomach ulcers, duodenal ulcers, or chronic gastritis.

What to do if you suspect salmonellosis

Salmonellosis is a dangerous infectious disease. Within a few hours of profuse diarrhea, severe dehydration can develop and toxic shock can occur.

First of all, if you suspect salmonellosis, you need to call an ambulance. Before their arrival, you need to independently begin to provide the patient with first aid. Thanks to it, you can significantly alleviate the condition of the poisoned person.

First aid components:

1. Let the patient drink drugs from the group of sorbents. It can be ordinary activated charcoal or more modern drugs, for example, atoxil, enterosgel. Before taking them, read the instructions, dosing rules.
2. Start feeding the patient. You can drink plain or mineral alkaline water. If a poisoned person is sick, you should drink a little, in small sips.

First aid for gastrointestinal bleeding

This condition is especially dangerous. The rate of bleeding may be rapid. An ambulance should be called immediately. Explain to the dispatcher by phone the seriousness of the patient's condition.

If bleeding in the stomach is suspected, the patient should not be given anything to drink or take orally. Any liquid or medicine can increase damage to a bleeding vessel, leading to increased blood loss.

Before the arrival of the ambulance team, put the patient on the bed with a pillow under his head. On the stomach, in the epigastric region, put a cold. It will lead to a slight contraction of blood vessels and, perhaps, slightly reduce the volume of blood loss.

green stool treatment

The amount of medical care for green stools depends on the cause of the disease and the severity of the patient's condition. In case of salmonellosis, hospitalization is carried out in the infectious diseases department, in case of colitis or colitis - in surgery. Critically ill patients are admitted to the intensive care unit.

With the development of green stools, one should not refuse hospitalization proposed by the emergency doctor. By staying at home and self-medicating, you are putting your life in danger.

Treatment for salmonellosis consists of diet, antibiotics, drips, and symptomatic medications.. With gastrointestinal bleeding, it is stopped using a gastroscope.

Treatment of colitis is selected by the doctor, depending on the severity of the patient's condition. In most cases, it is conservative. In severe cases, surgical intervention on the intestines is indicated.

Green stool examination

To identify the cause, assess the severity of the patient's condition and select the correct treatment in the hospital, a laboratory and instrumental examination of the patient is carried out. Depending on the clinical picture, it may consist of various techniques. Below is the main list:

• complete blood count with expanded leukocyte formula;
• general urine analysis;
• biochemical blood test;
• bacteriological examination of feces or vomiting for salmonellosis;
• ultrasound examination of internal organs;
• electrocardiogram;
• colonoscopy;
• gastroscopy;
• CT or MRI of the abdominal organs;
• blood test for electrolyte composition.

The list of studies may be reduced or supplemented by the doctor, depending on the symptoms and condition of the patient.

In the hospital, the examination of the patient is carried out in parallel with the provision of the necessary assistance and treatment. Patients who are in serious condition are first stabilized, only then they begin to find out the exact cause of its deterioration.

Green stools can be a sign of a large number of pathologies. It can also develop when eating green foods. In case of a disturbed condition, the appearance of additional clinical signs of the disease, you should immediately seek medical help. Self-medication can lead to serious consequences and deterioration of the patient's condition.

From the stomach, food masses enter the duodenum, where they mix with bile produced by the liver and digestive enzymes of the pancreas. In the process of digestion of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, a suspension is formed, which moves through the small intestine. In the small intestine, the absorption of nutrients into the blood occurs, and the remaining liquid wastes enter the large intestine. In the large intestine, the remnants of water are absorbed and feces are formed, which are excreted into the environment through the distal part of the digestive tract - the rectum.

Normal stool consists of water, animal food residues, undigested plant fibers, bacteria (up to 1/3 of the dry mass of feces), bile, dead cells of the mucous membrane lining the digestive tract. The composition, consistency, quantity and color of feces depend on many factors and are one of the indicators of the health of the body in general and the gastrointestinal tract in particular.

normal stool color

Usually the stool is brown in color and significant changes in color can be a health concern. The color of feces is determined by the presence of bilirubin (a breakdown product of hemoglobin) and other bile pigments. Changes in the amount of bilirubin in the bile can change the color of the stool from light yellow to dark brown.

In most cases, discoloration of feces is associated with dietary characteristics and is not a symptom of certain health problems. However, in some cases, for example, if the color of the stool has changed radically, and these changes persist for a long time, this can be an important diagnostic sign of dangerous diseases and serious life-threatening conditions.

When should a color change alert?

A cause for concern should be those cases when a change in the color of the stool is accompanied by other symptoms:

• Green and foul-smelling stools accompanied by diarrhea, abdominal pain, high fever, nausea, and vomiting are possible symptoms of some infectious diseases, such as salmonellosis.
• Discolored feces are accompanied by pain in the abdomen, back, yellowness of the sclera and skin, dark urine - signs of problems with the liver and biliary tract.
• Staining feces black is accompanied by pain in the abdomen, weakness, pallor of the skin, increased heart rate, cold sweat - symptoms of bleeding in the stomach or duodenum.
• Red feces accompanied by pain in the abdomen, nausea and vomiting - may be signs of intestinal bleeding.

Green stool is a sign of what?

As already mentioned, the brown color of feces is due to the presence of bilirubin in it. Bilirubin enters the lumen of the duodenum with bile, the shade of which, depending on the concentration of this substance, can vary from greenish-yellow to dark brown. Passing through the intestines, the chemical composition of bile changes and it darkens. If the movement of feces through the intestinal lumen becomes too fast, then the bile retains its original color and the stool becomes green. This can be with diarrhea caused by food poisoning, salmonellosis, rotavirus infection, giardiasis, Crohn's disease, autoimmune and endocrine diseases.

Green stools can be caused by eating a lot of green vegetables.

Green feces in an adult may be due to intestinal dysbacteriosis. In this case, a detailed scatological examination for dysbiosis will help establish the diagnosis.

Green stools, accompanied by cutting pains in the abdomen, diarrhea, an admixture of mucus and pus in the stool are signs of acute infectious enterocolitis. Treatment in this case is prescribed by an infectious disease doctor based on the results of bacteriological examination of feces and the establishment of the sensitivity of pathogenic microflora to one or another group of antibacterial drugs. In addition to antibacterial treatment, enterocolitis requires replenishment of fluid losses, up to parenteral administration of electrolyte solutions.

Green feces can also have a completely normal explanation, not related to the disease, for example, after eating a large amount of green leafy vegetables (especially spinach), foods with appropriate food coloring, some dietary supplements. Sometimes a change in color is provoked by taking iron preparations, but most often the stool in this case does not turn green, but turns black.

Green feces in children can be caused by the same diseases as in adults. In newborns in the first days of life, green stools are a variant of the norm, called meconium.

What does the black stool mean?

Feces can become black in a perfectly healthy person in the following cases:

• When eating blueberries, prunes, pomegranates, black currants, bird cherry, red wine, red beets.
• After eating dishes and products based on blood or containing it, for example, meat with blood, black pudding, etc.
• While taking iron preparations for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia, bismuth preparations, multivitamins, activated charcoal.

In these cases, the help of doctors is not required, and the color of the stool returns to normal within a few days after changing the menu and stopping treatment.

Black feces - a symptom of dangerous bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract

The sudden and inexplicable appearance of black stools (melena) is one of the formidable symptoms of internal bleeding into the cavity of the stomach or duodenum. The black color is due to the interaction of blood hemoglobin with hydrochloric acid of gastric juice, resulting in the formation of black hemin. can be caused by peptic ulcer, tumor, trauma, bleeding disorders, varicose veins of the esophagus in liver diseases, infectious process and other reasons.

If the appearance of melena is accompanied by weakness, cold sweat, increased breathing and pulse, pale skin, then you should immediately call an ambulance, since massive blood loss poses a serious threat to life.

Feces can turn black when blood is swallowed during severe nosebleeds, after a tooth extraction, or after an oral injury.

Black feces during pregnancy can be the result of all of the above conditions, but most often it is caused by a woman taking multivitamins and iron-containing preparations.

Red stool - is there a reason to worry?

Red stool appears when bleeding into the intestinal cavity

There is no reason to worry if you ate beetroot dishes or consumed drinks and confectionery products colored with red food coloring the day before.

Among pathological conditions, the most common cause of red stool is bleeding from hemorrhoids. More dangerous causes of bleeding into the intestinal cavity and redness of the feces are Crohn's disease, nonspecific, intestinal diverticulosis, malignant tumors, arteriovenous malformations.

Heavy bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract can also lead to red-colored stools. In this case, hemoglobin does not have time to react with hydrochloric acid, so the blood in the feces does not turn black, but remains red.

Is it dangerous when the stool is white?

White stool is one of the characteristic symptoms of diseases of the liver and biliary tract. The discoloration of the stool is due to the absence of bilirubin in it, which ceases to flow with bile as a result of impaired liver function or obstruction of the biliary tract. But it becomes very much in the blood, and this can be seen with the naked eye, because it stains the skin and eyes yellow - this condition is called jaundice. In addition, bilirubin begins to be intensively excreted by the kidneys, as a result, the urine becomes dark, as doctors say, the color of beer. Undoubtedly, this is a dangerous condition that requires immediate specialist intervention and proper treatment.

Yellow or white feces - a sign of diseases of the liver and pancreas

Light and loose stools with an unpleasant odor are a sign of a dysfunction of the pancreas. The lack or absence of a number of enzymes makes it impossible to digest fats, as a result of which the feces become light. Lightening of feces after ingestion of fatty foods may indicate chronic, celiac disease, cystic fibrosis, pancreatic cancer, gallbladder cancer, compression of the biliary tract or blockage in cholelithiasis. The consequences of these diseases are very serious, so you should not delay visiting a doctor.

White feces can also appear normally, for example, with errors in nutrition, in particular, with the abuse of fatty foods: lard, butter, fatty sour cream, etc.

Another variant of the norm is discoloration of feces while taking certain medications: antibiotics, antifungal agents, gout medications, anti-inflammatory drugs, oral contraceptives. A few days after the end of the course of treatment with such means, the color of the feces returns to normal. To avoid unnecessary worries, before taking medications, you should carefully read the instructions for the drug, especially the section on side effects and overdose symptoms.

What if the stool turns yellow?

Yellow stools are one of the options for light stools, so the reasons for its appearance can be the same: biliary tract, pancreatic diseases, conditions accompanied by blockage or compression of the bile ducts, excessive consumption of fatty foods, treatment with certain drugs.

What to do if the color of the stool changes?

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